Novelty aerial spinner device

ABSTRACT

A novelty spinner device attachable to a vehicle radio aerial. A rotary wind-driven impeller wheel is secured on the end of the stem with bracket means adapted to be received and held on a vehicle radio aerial. A pull tab beverage container which can carry advertising and promotion material is secured to the center of the impeller wheel to rotate with it and to be movable circularly around the aerial.

United States Patent 1191 Davidson June 25, 1974 NOVELTY AERIAL SPINNERDEVICE [76] Inventor: Jack H. Davidson, 16058 Mariner Dr., HuntingtonBeach, Calif. 92647 [22] Filed: Sept. 25, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 291,578

[52] u.s.c1. 46/53, 40/307 [51] Int. Cl A63h 33/40 [58] Field of Search46/53; 40/307; 248/125,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,872 10/1937 Baker 1.46/22 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 713,773 7/1965 Canada 46/53Primary ExaminerHugh R. Chamblee Assistant Examiner-R0bert F. CuttingAttorney, Agent, or Firm--Herzig & Walsh [5 7] ABSTRACT A noveltyspinner device attachable to a vehicle radio aerial. A rotarywind-driven impeller wheel is secured on the end of the stem withbracket means adapted to be received and held on a vehicle radio aerial.A pull tab beverage container which can carry advertising and promotionmaterial is secured to the center of the impeller wheel to rotate withit and to be movable circularly around the aerial.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures NOVELTY AERIAL SPINNER DEVICE SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The invention is a novelty wind-driven rotary device adaptedto be mounted or carried on a typical vehicle radio aerial or similarrod or stem member. Typically, such aerials are of telescopingconstruction having sliding tubular parts which telescope within eachother.

The device embodies a wind-driven impeller wheel or rotor mounted on astem attached to a bracket which is carried horizontally from thevehicle aerial. In a preferred form of the invention, a conventionalcontainer which may be a pull tab beverage container such as a beer canhas an end part attached to the center of the impeller wheel to rotatewith it as it is driven by wind or the blast of air occasioned bymovement of the vehicle. Particular constructions are involved tosimplify construction of the article and its assembly as described morein detail hereinafter.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an article ofmanufacture as described which is a unique wind-driven spinner typedevice adapted to be assembled on and carried on a vehicle radio aerialor the like.

A further object is to provide a device of this type wherein thewind-driven impeller or rotor rotates a pull tab beverage container orlike container which is attached to it. A corollary object is to providea simplified bracket means in the form of a bent strip of plastic ormetal having portions with aligned openings therein adapted to bemounted on and carried on a typical vehicle radio aerial or comparablerod or stem member whether telescoping or not and of any cross section.

A further object is to provide improved means for i holding the bracketmeans and the stem carrying the impeller rotor in assembledrelationship.

A further object is to provide a similar device provided with alenticular vane rather than a rotor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Further objects and additionaladvantages of the invention will become apparent from the followingdescription and detailed drawings, wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the rotor stem and tin can mounted to therotor;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view of a modified form of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, numeral 10designates a typical vehicle radio aerial of the telescoping type havingportions 12 and 14 which telescope within each other. The upper end ofsection 12 forms a shoulder as shown at 16. The device of the inventioncomprises a rotor 20 which is in the form of a disc made of any suitablematerial which can be plastic or tin having equally spaced radial slotsas shown at 22. Portions between radial slots form impeller blades asdesignated at 24 which are bent into a configuration as illustrated inFIG. I. Preferably, the blades are bent to have a slight curvature asshown. Circumferential slots may be provided as shown at 26 in one sideof each blade to facilitate bending of the blades to the appropriateshape to form an impeller wheel as shown.

Near the root of each blade, there is provided an aperture as shown at26' near one edge of the blade as shown for blade 24 in FIG. 1. A wireas designated at 30 is passed through all of these openings into acircular configuration as may be seen in FIG. 3 to assist in holding theblades in the desired configuration.

Disc 20 has a center extending flange 34 as shown in FIG. 3. Numeral 36designates a tubular mounting sleeve having a central bore 40 and athreaded end counterbore 42. It provides a combined journal bearing andthrust bearing.

The foregoing describes a preferred exemplary construction of the rotor.It can be injection molded in one piece and wire 30 can be omitted.Bearing sleeve 36 may be molded integrally with the rotor.

Numeral 54 designates a container which may be a typical pull tabbeverage container in which beverages are marketed, such as COCA-COLA,FRESCA, etc. Such containers may be made of tin or aluminum; and in theherein device, the use of the container is for the purpose of promotionand/or advertising of whatever printed material may appear on thecontainer. The can has an end 56 and end rib 58. Numeral 60 designates aradial slot which is formed in the canwhich diverges outwardly towardsthe periphery as shown. The inner end of slot 62 is on the axis of thecan.

Numeral 66 designates a mounting bracket which is in the form of a stripof plastic or metal bent to have portions 67, 68, and 69 havingapertures ,of a size to fit over the sections of aerial 10. Aperture 69is of a size to receive section 14, and then bear against shoulder 16previously referred to. Bracket 66 has spaced vertical portions 70 and71. Portion 71 has an aperture of the size to receive the threaded stem46.

FIG. 3 shows all the parts in assembled relationship. Numeral 76designates a screw having a head 77 with threaded part 78 and a shankpart 79 of smaller diameter between threaded part 78 and head 77. Shankpart 79 of screw 76 is inserted through slot 60 in the end of container54 and moved to the inner end of the slot so that this part of the screwis on the axis of container 54. Preferably, the container tab is onlypartially pulled open to remove the beverage. Then, the ring portion isflexed to fracture the aluminum to remove the ring. The remaining partof the tab is folded back down into the smaller shank part 79 to bettercenter screw 76 and prevent sideways motion. This also closes the topand prevents it from acting as an air scoop. Threaded part 78 is thenextended through the center opening of disc 20, that is, through flange34, and it is threaded into the threaded end of bearing sleeve 36.Threaded end 46 of bearing shaft 37 is threaded through nut 48 and thenextended through an aperture in the vertical part 71 of bracket 66.Then, bearing nut 50 is threaded onto Numeral 84 designates a ball chainwhich as may be seen in FIG. 4 extends through openings 85 and 86 invertical part 70 of bracket 66. Then, its end parts are received inslots 87 and 88 formed in side walls of vertical portion 71 of bracket66. The material of bracket 66 is flexible so that its vertical portionis resilient. By adjusting chain 84 with respect to the slots invertical portion 71, the frictional pressure of bearing nut 50 againstsection 12 of the radio aerial can readily be adjusted so that theassembly is held firmly in position but yet in a way to allow it toswing in a circle around the axis of the aerial, depending on thedirection of the wind or to align itself with the direction or movementof the automobile. The aerial can be telescoped with the bracketthereon. The bracket can be mounted on any rod-like member whether ifround cross section or otherwise.

FIG. shows a modified form of the invention having a lenticular vane 84carried by the device rather than a container. Rotor is secured by nut85 on stem 86, the end of which is threaded into threaded bore 87 inbearing shaft 37. The linticular effect is obtained by use of doubledprinted sheets or cards insertable preferably back to back in the devicebetween border or frame members such as indicated at 90 which arecommercially available plastic elements forming a slot to receive theedges of sleeve elements. Vane 84 is stationary with a promotionalmessage on it or a changing message or simulated motion of a figureachieved by the lenticular elTect.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily understand thenature of the construction and the manner in which it achieves andrealizes the objects as set forth in the foregoing. Any typical pull tabbeverage container may be easily procured for mounting on the rotor torotate therewith with promotional or advertising material on thecontainer. All of the parts of the article are easily assembled.Mounting on the radio aerial is simply by way of slipping the bracketover the aerial into position as shown. Then, the chain can be adjustedto any desired degree of tautness.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of a preferred form of theinvention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than alimiting sense, the invention to be accorded the full scope of claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a device adapted for attachment to avehicle radio aerial comprising in combination: a stem carrying arotatable impeller wheel adapted to be driven by the wind; and bracketmeans carried at the other end of the stem, said bracket means havingaligned opening means positioned to fit over a telescoping type of radioaerial or the like whereby the bracket means is held with the impellerwheel in a generally horizontal position but free to rotate about theaxis of the aerial with one of said portions of said bracket meansengaging an end part of one section of the telescoping aerial.

2. An article as in claim 1, including a round object attached to theimpeller wheel having its axis aligned with said stern whereby to rotatetherewith.

3. An article as in claim 1, wherein said bracket means comprises astrip of material bent to have a plurality of transverse portions havingaligned openings therein adapted to engage on the radio aerial or thelike.

4. An article as in claim 3, including a ball chain having parts passingthrough apertures in said bracket means and having end parts received inslots formed in a vertically bent portion of said bracket means.

5. An article as in claim 2, including a screw extending through acenter opening in said impeller wheel threaded into an end part of saidstem, the end of said object having a radial slot tapering to a widerdimension from the center towards the periphery of the container andadapted to have the head of said screw received therein so that theshank of the screw can be received at the inner end of said slot at thecenter of the end of the container.

6. An article as in claim 1, wherein the stem comprises a sleeve memberforming a combined journal bearing and thrust bearing, said sleevemember having a bore and a counterbore and a mounting shaft memberhaving a part of a diameter to fit in said bore in another part ofsmaller diameter to fit in said counterbore.

7. An article as in claim 1, including a nonrotating vane attached atthe axis of said rotatable impeller wheel.

8. An article as in claim 3, wherein said bracket means comprises astrip of material bent to have a plurality of transverse portions havingaligned openings therein adapted to engage on the aerial or the like,said bracket having a portion extending normally to said transverseportions and having said stem secured thereto.

1. As an article of manufacture, a device adapted for attachment to avehicle radio aerial comprising in combination: a stem carrying arotatable impeller wheel adapted to be driven by the wind; and bracketmeans carried at the other end of the stem, said bracket means havingaligned opening means positioned to fit over a telescoping type of radioaerial or the like whereby the bracket means is held with the impellerwheel in a generally horizontal position but free to rotate about theaxis of the aerial with one of said portions of said bracket meansengaging an end part of one section of the telescoping aerial.
 2. Anarticle as in claim 1, including a round object attached to the impellerwheel having its axis aligned with said stem whereby to rotatetherewith.
 3. An article as in claim 1, wherein said bracket meanscomprises a strip of material bent to have a plurality of transverseportions having aligned openings therein adapted to engage on the radioaerial or the like.
 4. An article as in claim 3, including a ball chainhaving parts passing through apertures in said bracket means and havingend parts received in slots formed in a vertically bent portion of saidbracket means.
 5. An article as in claim 2, including a screw extendingthrough a center opening in said impeller wheel threaded into an endpart of said stem, the end of said object having a radial slot taperingto a wider dimension from the center towards the periphery of thecontainer and adapted to have the head of said screw received therein sothat the shank of the screw can be received at the inner end of saidslot at the center of the end of the container.
 6. An article as inclaim 1, wherein the stem comprises a sleeve member forming a combinedjournal bearing and thrust bearing, said sleeve member having a bore anda counterbore and a mounting shaft member having a part of a diameter tofit in said bore in another part of smaller diameter to fit in saidcounterbore.
 7. An article as in claim 1, including a nonrotating vaneattached at the axis of said rotatable impeller wheel.
 8. An article asin claim 3, wherein said bracket means comprises a strip of materialBent to have a plurality of transverse portions having aligned openingstherein adapted to engage on the aerial or the like, said bracket havinga portion extending normally to said transverse portions and having saidstem secured thereto.